Getting Chicked

 Let’s start with the definition of the phrase “Getting Chicked”.  It is a common running term for when a woman passes or beats a man while running.  And no, it is not meant as a compliment toward women.  Every time I have heard the term used it is to make fun of the man for getting beat by a woman.  My question is, why is that a bad thing?  Is the man less of a man because a woman beats him?  Does that mean that us women are supposed to be inferior to men?  I don’t think this is always what is intended when people use this term, but this sort of vernacular will continue to teach women and our young girls that they are inferior to men.  I work hard to get to where I am with my running performance. I beat guys because of my hard work and dedication, not because any of the men behind me are less manly than the ones in front.

I have been participating in a local 10K, Run Through the Pines, for the past few years.  The past three years I have been able to place in the top 3 overall (men and women), taking first overall this year, beating the next person by two minutes.  Even with this, every year the awards are announced as the “Top 3 Women” and the “Top 3 Overall.”  I am not advocating to get rid of separate awards for men and women, I am just asking that they are announced for what they are.  By hearing the awards announced like this, every girl and woman in the crowd gets the subtle hint that they don’t deserve to be in the top three overall, because that is men only (even though it’s not).  I know vernacular like this is not being used by the announcers to intentionally put women down, but it is a product of the phrases and words we grow up with.  Changing this vernacular and being aware of how we talk about men and women can help to change this.

As I was running the race this year, I took the lead at mile 2.  I have been training really hard for a fall marathon so I wasn’t sure how I would do this year compared to the last few years.  The course is two laps around Lake Gregory in the San Bernardino Mountains. On the second lap I was feeling great and I kept trying to look behind me to see where the next person was.  I tried to remind myself that I cannot control what others do in a race, I can only control what I can do.  I began positive self-talk at that point.  I kept telling myself to do this for every girl who doesn’t believe in herself.  I was that girl who didn’t believe in herself.  There are still times that I don’t believe in myself, but I am working on that every day I look in the mirror.  I won the race this year by 2 minutes, not because I was pacing off the people behind me, but because I wanted to prove to myself and any woman watching me come across the finish line that we are capable.  If I can use my passions and talents to inspire one person, I have left the world a better place.  It is possible for women to excel in athletics and it does not make any man behind her any less of a man because of her success.

At work a few months ago I heard a dad tell his son, “Don’t let a girl beat you.”  This is yet another example of how small words can accumulate to change how women are viewed and treated in this world.  This kind of talk NEEDS to stop.  If this talk can stop, maybe women will be more likely to pursue leadership roles, and when they take those roles, will hopefully have more respect.  Maybe girls will believe in themselves more.  Maybe a lot of the self-doubt will go away.

Growing up I was a “Tom Boy.” I wore guys clothes and tried to act like a guy throughout high school. I was so brainwashed by the common talk around me, indicating that being feminine was weak.  Wearing pink meant I wasn’t tough.  If I wore a dress, everyone around me made it such a big deal so I stopped wearing dresses and stayed as far away from pink as possible. I didn’t want people to think I wasn’t a serious athlete because I dressed like a girl.  Thanks to the encouragement of my amazing husband, he has taught me that I can be feminine and be outdoorsy and tough at the same time.  I brush my hair every day now (well almost every day) and I love wearing dresses.  Embracing my femininity has actually made me stronger, not inferior like I heard through my childhood.  Women ARE tough.  Whatever your interests in life are, embrace being a woman.  We are capable of accomplishing amazing things!

Here are some of the common phrases and vernacular I would like to see disappear:

“You got chicked”

“Don’t be a pussy”

“Grow a pair”

“Don’t let a girl beat you”

“She’s so bossy”

“Quit being such a little girl”

And many more…..

Please be aware with the phrases you use and what phrases like that can do to the psyche of the women that surround you.  Encourage the people around you to be the best version of them that they can be.

Women, believe in who you are and be proud to be a woman.